The Elm Group Reports Fargo-Moorhead Home Sales Up 6% Through September 2026

Year-to-date change in closed sales and median sale price, January 1 through September 30, 2026 vs. 2025. Source: local MLS data compiled by The Elm Group.

Grand Forks and East Grand Forks sales fell 10.7%, while the median sale price rose 4.7%. Year-to-date MLS data through September 30, 2026.

FARGO, ND, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Home sales in Fargo-Moorhead rose 6.0% in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to a year-to-date analysis of local MLS data by The Elm Group, brokered by REAL. In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, sales fell 10.7%, while the median sale price rose 4.7% and the median time to contract shortened from 20 days to 16.

Fargo-Moorhead (Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead and Horace), January 1 through September 30:

Closed sales: 2,040 in 2026, up 6.0% from 1,924 in 2025
Median sale price: $325,000, up 2.5% from $317,000
Total sales volume: $758.7 million, up 10.4% from $687.5 million

Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, January 1 through September 30:

Closed sales: 525 in 2026, down 10.7% from 588 in 2025
Median sale price: $314,000, up 4.7% from $300,000
Median days to contract: 16, down from 20

The median sale price rose in both markets. Sales volume is where they differ: Fargo-Moorhead recorded more sales than a year ago, while Grand Forks and East Grand Forks recorded fewer.

A higher median sale price does not mean every home gained value by that percentage. The median can also shift when the mix of homes that sold changes, such as more new construction or fewer condominiums in one year than the other.

"Homes in the Fargo area are still moving fast, but sellers need to price them accordingly," said Jim Rentfrow, a real estate agent with The Elm Group who works in both Fargo and Grand Forks. "We are seeing much more negotiation in Fargo than in Grand Forks on repairs, closing costs and price reductions. Buyers are using seller-paid closing costs to buy down interest rates, which improves both short- and long-term payment affordability."

The MLS data shows the same pattern on price. In Fargo-Moorhead, 28% of homes sold this year had a price reduction from their original list price, compared with 18% in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. The median Fargo-Moorhead home sold for 99.3% of its original list price, while the median Grand Forks home sold at 100%. In Fargo-Moorhead, 45% of sales included a seller contribution toward the buyer's costs, with a median contribution of $5,600, up from 42% and $5,000 a year earlier.

For buyers: Sales increased in Fargo-Moorhead while the median sale price rose modestly. In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, homes that sold went under contract in a median of 16 days. In either market, have financing ready before making an offer.

For sellers: The median sale price rose in both markets. Recent sales of comparable homes nearby are the best guide to pricing.

Methodology: This year-to-date report covers closed residential sales from January 1 through September 30 in 2025 and 2026, using the same geographic and property filters for both years. Each sale is counted once by listing, not by buyer and seller sides. Fargo-Moorhead figures come from local MLS data for Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead and Horace, and Grand Forks figures from local MLS data for Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Residential includes single-family homes, townhomes, twin homes and condominiums, plus a small number of duplexes and manufactured homes in Fargo-Moorhead. Days to contract is the time from list date to the date the listing went under contract.

Tyler Lindell
The Elm Group brokered by REAL
+1 701-446-7249
jim@realelmgroup.com
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